Premiership success has Mitchell Pearce primed for State of Origin, says Braith Anasta

PREMIERSHIP success lifted the monkey from Mitchell Pearce's back and has primed him to deliver for NSW in State of Origin, says his former club skipper Braith Anasta.

Anasta believes 25-year-old Pearce — so often criticised amid the Blues' repeated series defeats — is in career-best form and will only be more motivated by the negative publicity surrounding his wild Saturday night out, which resulted in a one-game ban and fine.

From his Origin debut in 2008 at age 18, halfback Pearce has played 12 Origin matches, including all of the past three series' games, but has enjoyed only three wins — all in Sydney, with one each in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 series defeats.

“You get put on this pedestal. If you don't reach the expectations that people really want you to reach at a young age, then there is really only one way to go, down, and Pearcey has been battling that over his career.

“Right now he is at the top of his game and he has to ride that for the rest of his career.

“He has played his best footy over the past 12 to 24 months and he should be confident in his own ability to get out there and get the job done.

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